It is known to provide support poles, grab bars, handrails and the like for people who are elderly of otherwise require support to stand or walk. In order to assist users, it is known to provide a grip to such structures. See for example, U.S. Pat. No. 6,854,163 which discloses a releasably attachable grip. Different types of covers are also known. For example, U.S. Pat. No. 7,040,642 discloses a cover for a wheelchair grip. This patent discloses a grip ring cover that comprises an inner pad constructed of a soft resilient material and an outer sleeve constructed of a durable material that is resistant to slippage and extreme temperature changes. The outer sleeve may also include reflective or luminescent material.
US2010-0001246 also discloses a safety handrail. The handrail is provided with a light emission component which is provided in a channel element (see paragraph [0015]). The handrail also includes a living hinge element that may be formed during manufacturing, so as to assist in assembling the handrail apparatus over existing handrails (see paragraph [0016]). A texture may be provided on the outer surface of the handrail (see paragraph [0025]).
US 2010/0037971 discloses a conduit cover which can also be used as a cover for hand rails in a building (see paragraph [0060]). The cover is formed from a resilient material and has a C-shape that can be opened to fit over a conduit. The cover self-tightens around the conduit, thus creating a frictional attachment (see paragraph [0027]). The cover may include a glow-in-the-dark or reflective layer. An important feature of handrail systems which are utilized by the elderly and infirm is the ability of the handrail to remain in a static position during use. For example, if a grip is provided over a support pole and the grip were to move longitudinally or rotationally when pressure is applied to the grip by a user, then the user could stumble and injure themselves. Accordingly, it is important that not only the support structure which is utilized is stable, but that any grip that is mounted to the support structure is itself also stable.